La Follette junior Aaliyah Badjie recounts her coming out journey—and all her initial anxiety—then the relief she felt when she could be herself around her loved ones.
Becoming
read more
WISCONSIN’S SOURCE FOR LGBTQ NEWS + PEOPLE + COMMUNITY + CULTURE SINCE 2007
Get the latest news, events and jobs delivered weekly with the free Our Lives newsletter.
July 2023
Allen Creek CoffeeHouse
Tommy Hanna of The Hookah Lounge has opened a café in Evansville with his brother.
In Response to Trans Sanctuary Declarations
The Madison Area Transgender Association welcomes the declarations and acknowledges both the symbolism in them and the real barriers that are still present in Dane County to overall trans health.
From the Frontlines
With anti-LGBTQ sentiment and legislation on the rise both nationally and in Wisconsin, Fair Wisconsin outlines what they’re seeing on the frontlines and efforts to defend and advance LGBTQ equality.
Protecting Ballroom
Aaron Bledsoe on the resurgence of ballroom in Wisconsin and the fight to preserve its legacy.
Watch Bobby Rivers
Bobby Rivers was Milwaukee’s Black, queer media pioneer, finding a niche in radio, then TV as a beloved and reviled host and producer despite relentless intersectional discrimination.
The Role Model
Steph Tai is trying to help fight the fight against climate change.
The Community Organizer
Jennifer Morales brings creativity and queer culture to rural life while making real change at the policy level for queer families nationwide.
The Change Maker
Kaleb Hawj is a prominent trans leader in the Hmong Queer Feminist Movement and is shaping the way the Hmong community protects, celebrates, and loves Hmong LGBTQI+ people.
The Champion
Chris Allen is President and CEO of Diverse & Resilient where he continues his vision and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and health equity.
What Gay Hockey Means to Me
Matthew Greene (Team Blue Screen of Death) talks about how growing up in a homophobic society walled him off from community before he joined the Madison Gay Hockey Association and found the tools to build himself up.
An Inclusive Hart
In speaking with Vica-Etta Steel, Reverend David Hart (he/him) of Sherman Avenue United Methodist Church shares the value of gathering at the intersections of oppressions to look for opportunities to work together.
A Lone Wolf No Longer
Astro the Wolf, shares his journey into community and the joy and support he’s found in the local and national LGBTQ+ communities of furries.
With Love & Accountability
Ronnie Rivera, MSW, has been honored as GSAFE’s Educator of the Year for work coordinating LGBTQ+ services across Milwaukee Public Schools.
The Big Gay Market
This recurring event centering LGBTQ+ creators fills such a niche it has a waitlist of vendors wanting to participate.
Beginner Friendly Summer Soccer
Founder and organizer Tim Tender answers questions about a new opportunity for sport in Madison: The Madison Pride Soccer Association.
Cardinal Bar open for business
In 2022, we reported that the Cardinal Bar, a monolith establishment in the LGBTQ history of Madison, was reopening under new management but with much of the same aesthetic and mission as the original. Now the bar is open again. The Cap Times reported that the bar had...
Dane County Supervisors and Madison Common Council Vote “Yes” on Trans Sanctuary Resolution
In a nearly unanimous vote (25–1 with 3 abstaining), the Dane County Board of Supervisors voted yes on a resolution to establish Dane County as a sanctuary for transgender and non-binary people, the first of its kind in the nation, in the wee hours of the morning on...
School District Approves Policy Prohibiting “Safe Space” Stickers
On Monday, June 27, the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District voted 6–1 to approve Policy 387, which “prohibits displays that do not support the board-approved curriculum. Those include postings that target only one group of students based solely on race, sex,...
Milwaukee’s District 15 Supervisor Assaulted
Peter Burgelis, the first openly LGBTQ supervisor for Milwaukee County, was attacked on the afternoon of Monday, June 19 at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa. The attack, which sent Burgelis to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery, happened after what he...
Pride Under Assault
Wisconsin’s Pride events grapple with renewed threats in communities large and small.
Our Readers: Jacy Imilkowski, Madison
It’s really interesting being a late-blooming queer person, particularly as transmasculine. I didn’t even know that was something I COULD be until I was in my 40s. There was always a not-quite-belonging in my body. A subtle thing that hid behind the culturalized...
Obituary: Michael F. Bemis, 1938-2023
Michael Bemis died peacefully at home on Saturday, June 3 under Hospice care following a brief illness. Michael lived a passionate life full to capacity with experiences, love, and friendships. Born in Beloit, Wisconsin, he spent his first 14 years in the central...
From Dreams to Reality
When he was young, Madisonian James Bond set a path for success, but one thing stood in the way of his dreams: He was gay. Closeted and afraid, Bond gradually gained the courage to live authentically and is now the Secretary-designee for the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.
Print Issues 
VIEW RECENT PRINT ISSUES
Recent Posts
